JFK: “Fascism?’ The right thing for Germany.”

Some context for this; JFK was 20 years old at the time and was likely heavily influenced by his father who was a fairly blatant supporter of Nazi Germany. And while his views seem shocking now, it’s important to remember that at the time they were conventional wisdom. There was a sizable strain of admiration for fascism in liberal circles extending into the FDR administration. The sense was that fascists were capable of getting things done.

England, in many American circles, had come to seem like Israel today, a country that dragged the United States into wars. While Nazi Germany, like the Muslims today, was seen as misunderstood and a victim of history. Kennedy’s observations would not have been unusual even for many liberal visitors older than him who came away from Germany with the same impression that the country was on the way up and that it just needed to be left alone.

After a visit to the river Rhine in 1937, Kennedy wrote: “Very beautiful, because there are many castles along the route. The towns are all charming which shows that the Nordic races appear to be definitely superior to their Latin counterparts. The Germans are really too good – that’s why people conspire against them – they do it to protect themselves.”

A fortnight earlier, Kennedy, who was touring with his friend Lem Billings, wrote in his diary: “I have come to the conclusion that fascism is right for Germany and Italy. What are the evils of fascism compared to communism?” Billings later recalled that Kennedy was “completely consumed by his interest for the Hitler movement” during their trip.

But even after Germany’s defeat in 1945, when the Holocaust was common knowledge, JFK appears to have retained an extraordinary fascination for Hitler. By then a naval officer he accompanied the US Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, on a tour of Germany that August.

After visiting Hitler’s bomb-damaged Bavarian Berghof residence and his Eagle’s Nest mountain retreat, Kennedy noted in his diary: “Anyone who has visited these places can imagine how in a few years, Hitler will emerge from the hate that now surrounds him and come to be regarded as one of the most significant figures ever to have lived.” He adds: “There was something mysterious about the way he lived and died which will outlive him and continue to flourish. He was made of the stuff of legends.”

By that point, JFK was no longer twenty and there’s less excuse for it. But let’s look at mainstream media reports from the 1930s, which weren’t filed by bored 20-year-olds.

“A reply has now been received indicating that whereas there was for a short time considerable physical mistreatment of Jews, this phase may be considered virtually terminated. There was also some picketing of Jewish merchandising stores and instances of professional discrimination.

“These manifestations were viewed with serious concern by the German government. Hitler in his capacity as leader of the Nazi party issued an order calling upon his followers to maintain law and order, to avoid molesting foreigners, disrupting trade and to avoid the creation of potentially embarrassing international incidents.”

Fortunately Hitler turned out to be a moderate Nazi and that was the end of it.

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. He is completing a book on the international challenges America faces in the 21st century.

Dennis

It's no surprise that many leftists admired fascism in the 20s and 30s – both Fascism and National Socialism were essentially left-wing movements, though Communists tried to portray them as right-wing. The Communist view has, unfortunately, largely prevailed in most people's minds, and thus most people today think there was something traditionally "right-wing" or even "conservative" about Fascism and National Socialism, even though they both sprang from the same basic ideological root as Communism.
Communists, Nazis, and Fascists fought each other so strongly not because they were opposites, but because they were so similar. Their antagonism came from what Freud called the narcissism of small differences.

77patriot

Jonah Goldberg makes a solid argument in his book, Liberal Fascism", that the Nazi movement was on the left of the political spectrum. This article just underscores his point.

Christopher Riddle

JFK was a young,impressionable man ans was(undoubtedly)VERY influenced by his father's pro-Hitler feelings.By 1945,he should have known better!The rise of Adolph Hitler was facilitated by the ruinious reparations which were required of post WWI Germany by The Treaty of Versaille.Combine that with The Great Depression,and the"Stage is Set"for Adolph Hitler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omar

England is not a country. England is part of the country known as the United Kingdom (or Britain). Calling the UK "England" is offensive to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (the other three main parts of the UK)

gee59

Yes the colonial power known as Great Britain is occupying Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland as well as many other places around the world

Love Voice

This puts JFK's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' in a totally different light! Like Mel Gibson, it appears JFK was very much the son of his Nazi/Hitler-admiring father. What an insight into the wonderful world of 'Camelot' created by JFK and his 'queen' Jackie..